This summer's essay series will include only one essay and will begin with a look at the world of drones. The focus will be more on consumer and commercial markets for and uses of drones than drones in military operations. As with past essays, the story will be interactive in the sense that visitors may simply read the text or instead follow
links, watch videos or look over photos and diagrams to gain a more in-depth understanding of the topics presented. A greater number of videos are embedded in this essay than most, because for those unfamiliar with drones it is probably the easiest way to demonstrate not only the wide variety of drones in use but also to show them in action. Footnotes and a bibliography will be included at
the end of the essay, and a link to a glossary of drone-related terminology also is included here. (CLICK HERE to reach the glossary.) Comments, corrections or other
input from visitors to the site are always welcome.
Imagine the following scenario: It's summer, and you're getting ready to host a few guests for a backyard party. The Amazon drone has just dropped off the last-minute party decorations you ordered, and the local Domino's pizza drone drops off the piping-hot pizzas right on your outdoor table. You relax after dinner, getting ready not to watch a fireworks display but the newest drone light show in the sky. Is this coming soon to your neighborhood? Well, not exactly. But as things like drone light shows begin making their way to the skies (see the video below), and as companies from DHL to Amazon study the way to use drones for delivery, who knows?
The above video is entitled "Experience Starbright Holidays," an drone light show collaboration between Intel and Disney. For a video of a similar light show created for the Coachella music festival in a collaboration between Intel and HP, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF2vPwmQ1Q0.
And here's a little more to think about . . . The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expecting "over 3.5 million drones to be in the hands and skies of Americans by 2021." (n1) According to a recent study by the Teal Group (www.tealgroup.com), a respected independent aerospace and defense research and analysis company, commercial use of drones "will be the fastest growing civil segment [of the industry], rising more than twelvefold from $512 million in 2017 to $6.5 billion" (n2) over the next decade. The company also reports that "technology companies and venture capitalists have poured $1.3 billion into the sector since 2013 . . . [with] numerous acquisitions of UAS (unmanned aerial system) companies by Intel, Verizon, Facebook and Google. Other technology leaders such as Amazon and General Electric have focused on building their own internal capabilities." (n3)
With many drones equipped with photographic or video capabilities, drones in the new drone universe quite literally are providing a bird's eye view of the world below. But like the birds on this summer's site pages, the types and appearances - and functions - of drones are many. The July/August essay will provide an overview of drones - terminology, legislation, and other matters of interest for both recreational and commercial drone flight. Current and potential future uses of drones also will be outlined, particularly in areas such as agriculture, cinematography, real estate and disaster response.
Some Basic Terminology
The first drone ever to be included on the site, back in 2012, was, in fact, built in the shape of a bird by a company called AeroVironment (www.avinc.com). AeroVironment is a Monrovia-based company specializing in unmanned aircraft and electric vehicle products
and solutions. The company developed the world's first fully operational life-size hummingbird-like unmanned aircraft (pictured at left) for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the U.S. government. The "bird" could fly both indoors and outdoors, and AeroVironment said that the aircraft could someday provide new reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities in urban environments. But drones of all types have multiplied in the last few years, and few, if any, look like real birds. Understanding potential uses for and applications of today's drones first requires understanding some of the terminology of and regulatory framework associated with their operation.
Photo credit: Aerovironment press photo
In techincal and legal terminology, the most common acronyms associated with drones are UAV and UAS. UAV stands for unmanned aerial vehicle - the drone itself - or any aircraft without a human pilot on board. UAS stands for unmanned aircraft system, and it includes the UAV, its ground-based control system, and the system for communication between the two. In the U.S., drone operation comes under the jurisdiction of the FAA. A good starting point for drone information from the
FAA is at www.faa.gov/uas. Another source for information on the industry is the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), www.auvsi.org, an organization which
bills itself as the "world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the unmanned systems and robotics community." The AUVSI and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), in partnership with the FAA, have established "Know Before You Fly," a campaign to educate prospective users about the safe and responsible operation of
unmanned aircraft systems. The campaign website can be found at www.knowbeforeyoufly.org. A site also supporting the "Know Before You Fly" campaign with additional resources and information is B4UDrone, found at www.b4udrone.us. Take a quiz testing your
drone knowledge at www.b4udrone.us/take-a-quiz.
Rules and regulations for drone use depend on whether a person is using a drone for recreational or commercial/business purposes. In general, UAS operators must keep their drones in their line of sight, fly under 400 feet, fly during the day at or below 100 mph, yield the right
of way to manned aircraft, not fly over people and not fly from a moving car. Those operating drones for business/commercial purposes may be able to obtain waivers for these restrictions. Drone operators also must be aware of other limitations such as temporary flight restrictions (restrictions
on flying over sensitive areas, such as Washington D.C., near large sporting events and during public safety emergencies) and specific location restrictions (such as flying in National Parks, something not allowed with few exceptions). If you are a recreational user or "flying for fun," requirements also include:
-- No pilot requirements
-- Operate in compliance with Section 336 of Public Law 112-95 (Special Rule for Model Aircraft)
-- Not operate within 5 miles from an airport without prior notification to the airport or air traffic control
-- The drone must be under 55 lbs.
-- The operator must follow community-based safety guidelines
For those flying for business or commercial purposes, or "flying for work," requirements also include:
-- The operator must have a Remote Pilot Airman Certificate, be at least 16 years old and pass TSA vetting
-- The drone must weigh less than 55 lbs and be registered if it weighs more than .55 lbs.
-- The UAS must undergo a pre-flight check to ensure that it is in safe operating condition
-- Operation is subject to Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR, part 107 (n4)
In 2015 the FAA instituted a requirement that all drones used for recreational purposes weighing more than
.55 lbs. also had to be registered. In the period after registration began, about "760,000 hobbyists registered more than 1.6 million drones." (n5) However, John Taylor, a model aircraft hobbyist in the Washington D.C. area,
challenged the registration rule saying that it violated Section 336(a) of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act stating that the FAA "may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft." (Public Law No. 112-95, sec 336(a), 126 Stat. 11, 77 (2012),
codified at 49 U.S.C, 540101 note). The court agreed. Based on the decision issued on May 19, 2017, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Taylor vs. Huerta (FAA), drones weighing less than 55 lbs. which are used
only for recreational purposes no longer need to be registered.
The change in registration rules is one example of a system in flux when it comes to drone regulation and policy, a system described as being based on
"accomodation," with practices "which rely largely on operational segregation [from manned aircraft] to maintain systemic safety." (n6) In the future, the vision of the FAA is for full integration of "UAS into the National Airspace (NAS) . . . operating
harmoniously, side-by-side with manned aircraft, occupying the same airspace and using many of the same air traffic management systems and procedures." (n7) In order to begin working toward that vision, the FAA has established a Drone Advisory Committee
headed by Intel CEO Brian Krzanich. Establishing a means for integrating drones into U.S. airspace will be a crucial step in allowing many of the future commercial applications for drones now being considered to be fully developed. Currently there are six test sites in the U.S. for integrating UAS into the NAS, in North Dakota, Nevada, New Mexico, Alaska, Texas, Virginia, and Griffiss International Airport in New York. Links to these test sites are available at www.faa.gov/uas/research/test_sites. Also, a map of UAS-related legislation in the United States on a state-by-state basis can be found by going to www.auvsi.org, then clicking "Our Impact" and "State Legislation Map."
The Drones
As said above, in essence a drone is any unmanned craft that is piloted by someone on the ground. Given that definition, the number and type of UAVs and UASs on the market today is extensive. Though there are many more technical distinctions between types, those distinctions will not be delineated
in greater depth here, except for some of the more common types availble to consumers, such as those in the photographs below. Without going into manufacturer specifics, the black drone on the left is referred to as a hexicopter since it has six rotors. The drone on the ground and in flight on the right is
generally referred to as a quadcopter since it has four rotors positioned on a horizontal plane. Any vehicle with multiple propellers can be referred to as a multicopter, but for the purpose of this essay they are all simply referred to as drones. The second photograph below is of two quadcopters
used in drone racing and their control systems. Other larger drones, with more specific usage such as in agriculture or military operations tend to look more like small aircraft. At first it might be difficult to understand why the AUVSI describes the organization as being one dedicated to "the advancement of the unmanned systems and robotic community," but in many ways drones are like flying robots, which may also indicate a future direction of autonomous operating systems of many types.
Hexicopter and quadcopter photographs Copyright 2016 Dorothy A. Birsic
Prices for drones can vary from under $100 to millions of dollars. Drones priced at under $100 are usually referred to as toys or toy-grade drones. Prices can depend on function or intended use, with
the most expensive UAVs used for military operations. A recent article classified UAVs based on cost as follows: Consumer - $1,000, Prosumer - $2,000 to $3,000, Mini UAV - $40,000 to $50,000, Agricultural Spraying UAV - $100,000, Small/Naval UAV - $500,000 to one million, tactical UAV - $4 million, etc.
(n8) One category not included in the description was the type of drones used in high-end aerial photography and cinematography which can run in the $15,000 range. Flight times on a single battery charge may run from about 5 - 10 minutes for toy drones and from about 20 - 30 minutes or slightly longer for consumer/prosumer
models. For someone considering purchasing a drone, the type of drone necessary may depend on its intended use. Current uses and some projected
future uses of drones will be discussed below.
Racing drones and gear photograph Copyright 2016 Dorothy A. Birsic
Current and Projected Future Uses of Drones
Current Uses
The information below includes some of the largest current and projected future uses of drones. At the present time, at least in the United States, some uses are limited by the restrictions mentioned above like daytime flying, not flying above people, altitude and line-of-sight requirements. Though waivers are available for commercial/business users, greater certainty to the potential for industry growth is likely to come as future rules and regulations are established.
Drone Racing. Though this is probably not the first item presented on most "top drone use" lists, some may have looked at the picture above and wondered "What on earth is drone racing?" It is just as it sounds, with drones being piloted around courses and through obstacles, often for cash prizes. In just a very short time it has become a global "sport," with the recent World Drone Prix held in Dubai being the world's first drone race with $1 million in prize money (see video link below).
In drone racing, drones such as the ones pictured above are used. They are equipped with cameras in the front so that they may transmit the view of the course to the goggles of a drone racer, such as the person pictured at left at a recent drone expo in Los Angeles. This is called First Person View, or FPV, and it enables the drone "pilot" to use his or her control mechanisms to steer the drone through the obstacles of the race course as if he or she is sitting in the drone. The video below will give the reader an idea of FPV from a drone flying through a course. Drone racing has grown rapidly on a global scale, and there is even a drone racing league. To learn more about the Drone Racing League, visit www.thedroneracingleague.com. The video below is about two minutes in length. For those with more time who want to understand more about the current and potential future impact and growth of drone racing, two links are included in the text below the video. The first is for a New York Times piece called "Drone Racing Dreams," which gives the view of a person involved in drone racing, and the second is from Bloomberg Business and shows the world's first $1 million drone race in Dubai. Both of those two videos are about six minutes long and show what it is like for individual racers and drone racing teams, plus (particularly in the Dubai video) how advanced some of the courses have become. Part of the impact of drone racing may come from improvements in drone technology which filter through to uses in other areas.
The above video is entitled "GoPro Awards: Epic Drone Race at Night." For two other views of drone racers/racing, visit the two links here: "Drone Racing Dreams," by the New York Times, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiKEFQ4iWn4, and "World's First $1 Million Drone Race - World Drone Prix in Dubai," by Bloomberg Business, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ0viMxYDA4.
Agriculture. It is anticipated that drones could play an increasing role in new strategies in agriculture and crop management, something often referred to as "precision agriculture." In a recent article for MIT's Technology Review magazine, Michal Mazur, a partner in Pricewaterhouse Cooper's (PwC's) Drone-Powered Solutions division (based in Poland), outlined six ways in which aerial and ground-based drones may play a greater role this market. Those include:
1. Soil and Field Analysis. Drones . . . produce precise 3-D maps for early soil analysis, useful in planning seed planting patterns. After planting, drone-driven soil analysis provides data for irrigation and nitrogen-level management.
2. Planting. Startups have created drone-planting systems that achieve an uptake rate of 75 percent and decrease planting costs by 85 percent.
3. Crop spraying. Distance-measuring equipment . . . enables a drone to adjust altitude as the topography and geography vary, and thus avoid collisions. Consequently, drones can scan the ground and spray the correct amount of liquid . . . The result: increased efficiency with a reduction in the amout of chemicals penetrating into groundwater. In fact, experts estimate that aerial spraying can be completed up to five times faster with drones than with traditional machinery.
4. Crop monitoring. Vast fields and low efficiency in crop monitoring together create farming's largest obstacle . . . Previously, satellite imagery offered the most advanced form of monitoring. But there were drawbacks . . . Today, [drone-based] time-series animations can show the precise development of a crop and reveal production inefficiencies, enabling better crop management.
5. Irrigation. Drones with hyperspectral, multispectral or themal sensors can identify which parts of a field are dry or need improvements. Additionally, once the crop is growing, drones allow the calculation of the vegetation index, which describes the relative density and health of the crop, and show the heat signature, the amount of energy or heat the crop emits.
6. Health assessment. It's essential to asses crop health and spot bacterial or fungal infections . . . As soon as sickness is discovered, farmers can apply and monitor remedies more precisely [with drones]. These two possibilities increase a plant's ability to overcome disease. And in the case of crop failure, the farmer will be able to document losses more effeciently for insurance claims. (n9)
This National Geographic video is called "Drones and the Future of Farming." Another 2015 3-minute video of the founder of an agricultural start-up company discussing his use of drones, "Drone Potential in Agriculture: FAA-approved goFarm LLC," can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxmgBDLlLpk
First Responders/Disaster Response/Search and Rescue/Security. From police and fire departments to border patrol monitoring along U.S. borders, drones are already being put to use in many ways. In cases of natural disasters such as earthquakes or in search and rescue situtions, drones can be mobilized quickly and fly at lower altitudes than helicopters or small aircraft making it easier to survey damage and search out survivors. In places which are remote or, for example, roads may be washed away, drones can even deliver small payloads such as medicine until other resources arrive.
In police and fire situations, drone uses are nearly endless - from aerial surveillance to serving (via camera) as an additional set of "eyes" in situations which are too dangerous for a first responder to physically enter. While some worry does exist that excessive use of drones for surveillance in the future may lead to violations of personal privacy, (n13) those issues are beyond the scope of this essay at this time. The ABC news video below includes examples of how drones are used by first responders in a variety of situations.
This ABC News video is called "First Responders Turn to Drones to Save Lives."
In some places, drones may even be used in more than one capacity, as they were in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. At those Games, drones "were used to ensure safety. Their main task was to track crowds in high-traffic areas and provide vast amounts of real-time data for security teams." (n14) They also were used for filming skiing and snowboarding events (n15) (and occasionally the shadow of the drone could be seen in the snow during the broadcast), which leads to yet another widespread use of drones - aerial photography/cinematography.
Aerial Photography/Cinematography. From capturing just the right shot for a Hollywood film or a TV show to getting the most astonishing footage for a news broadcast or from a sporting event, the use of drones in filming and photography is one of the most well-established and long-standing uses of drones. Advertising agencies, television show and news producers, Hollywood studios, wildlife documentary filmmakers and others all have used drones in their productions. Some of the most notable films in which drones have been used include Skyfall, The Wolf of Wall Street and Harry Potter. (n16) The CNN video below "Hollywood Welcomes Drones to the Set," shows one type of drone/camera used in filming and discusses the benefit of drone use in film/television production.
This CNN video is called "Hollywood Welcomes Drones to the Set."
Other Uses. The list provided so far is only a partial list of current uses of drones. Other uses include geographic mapping, structural safety inspections, construction site monitoring, maintenance, transportation/delivery, risk monitoring and risk assessment in insurance, telecommunications, wildlife monitoring, security and recreation, among others. One of the most extensive reports available online at no cost outlining these uses, called Clarity From Above: PwC Global Report on the Commercial Applications of Drone Technology, is available from the Poland PricewaterhouseCoppers (PwC) office specializing in drone matters at www.dronepoweredsolutions.com. But the uses of drones mentioned above are current ones. Technology leaders such as Amazon, Verizon, and Facebook have all indicated an interest in using drones in one way or another in the future, and some of these companies have joined together to form the Small UAV Coalition (SUAVC, www.smalluavcoalition.org). The organization's website refers to the group as "a partnership of leading consumer and technology companies who believe that U.S. leadership in the research, development, production and application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will benefit consumers in all walks of life." The following section will provide examples of some of the future uses of drones either being planned or tested by some of these companies.
Projected/Planned Future Uses
Verizon and Facebook - Wireless Internet Connectivity. Both Verizon and Facebook are taking slightly different approaches to using drones to create wireless internet connectivity from the sky. Verizon, American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. and first responders have "showcased a new strategy to utilize a drone to create a cell tower in the sky . . . [testing] the feasibility and operations using an AATI fixed-wing aircraft flying beyond visual-line-of-sight while broadcasting a Verizon Airborne LTE signal." (n17) The company said that "what is unique is that the 'flying cell site' is designed to fly to where first responders request service in the aftermath of a disaster." (n18). Facebook's focus is different, and that is to use drones to provide internet service to areas currently without it. The Facebook drone, called Aquila, is solar powered and would stay aloft for months with an ability to bring internet connectivity to remote parts of the world. Mark Zuckerberg explains the technology and goals in a Facebook post which can be found at www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/the-technology-behind-aquila/10153916136506634. A video of Aquia's first flight is included below.
This Facebook video is called "Aquila's First Flight."
DHL, UPS and Amazon - Package Delivery. DHL, UPS and Amazon are all in the process of testing and integrating drone use into their delivery systems, though each of the three are pursuing slighty different methods. DHL is probably the most advanced of the three, having completed a test of the third-generation system the company calls its "Parcelcopter," now a tiltwing aircraft. The company uses set stations, called Parcelcopter Skyports, at which customers insert their packages for delivery. Inserting a package into a (fully automated) Skyport "initiates automated shipment and delivery per Parcelcopter." (n19) View the video for the DHL Parcelcopter system at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9yZheXxyPE. In the approach being tested by UPS, drones are launched from the top of a special UPS package car designed by Ohio-based battery-electric truck and drone developer Workhorse Group. UPS says of its system that, "a reduction of just one mile per driver per day over one year can save UPS up to $50 million. . . Rural delivery routes are the most expensive to serve due to the time and vehicle expenses required to complete each delivery. In this test, the drone made one delivery while the driver continued down the road to make another." (n20). The autonomous drone then re-joined the truck at another point down the road after the driver had made the separate delivery. View the video for this UPS delivery system at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx9_6OyjJrQ. Finally, Amazon is testing delivery by drone in a system they call Amazon Prime Air. Their focus is on speed an proximity, envisioning the system as a means of delivering parcels to customers by drone in 30 minutes or less. The company says that "One day, seeing Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road." (n21) View the video for Amazon Prime Air's first delivery at www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNySOrI2Ny8.
Pizza. By now the reader probably has an idea of just how diverse and extensive the possible future uses of drones might be. There are many more uses of drones which are not possible to discuss in the space here, and even more new uses are being considered and created every day. But since this story began with pizza, this section will include just that - pizza delivery by drone from Dominos. Dominos announced late last year that it had completed its first pizza delivery by drone, "a peri-peri chicken pizza and a chicken and cranberry pizza" to a customer in a city about 25km north of the city of Auckland in New Zealand. The company says their research shows that 70 percent of their customers would use drone delivery if given the opportunity, and the company is looking at opportunities for trial deliveries in Australia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany. (n22) Watch the Dominos video of the pizza delivery at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEW4aXuAEy0.
Drones - Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You?
Those who had the opportunity to view some of the videos above of potential future uses might have noted that most of the tests, particularly for drone delivery, were carried out in predominantly rural/remote locations. There are reasons for this. Saftey precautions, drone collision avoidance capabilities, battery life, regulation, the ability to detect weather patterns and changes on a street-level local basis, privacy matters and many other issues will probably mean that swarms of drones will not be buzzing through the airspace above a typical home in Southern California any time in the immediate future. However, drone use and technology has been advancing at such a rapid pace that there is no way of saying what the drone landscape may look like five years from now.
For those who want to learn more or perhaps consider obtaining a license for commercial use, the FAA's main UAS page is a good place to begin. In California, an organization called Drone University USA (www.droneuniversityusa.com) has partnered with the Tesla Foundation Group to offer general and specialized UAS/drone education and training programs. In addition to FAA Part 107 Commercial Remote Pilot Training, the company also offers training and certification in specialized fields such as advanced aerial cinematography and aerial agriculture and vegetation management. Also, earlier this year it was announced that "East Los Angeles College [ELAC, in Monterey Park] has partnered with the Tesla Foundation to introduce a first-of-its-kind program that will train participants for future careers in Unmanned Aerial Systems" beginning in 2018. The program is spearheaded by ELAC's Engineering and Technologies Department and is supported by a $300,000 grant from the City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board. (n23) Whether or not other academic institutions will follow with similar courses remains to be seen. Still, given the near exponential rise in both the number and potential uses of drones of all types, it appears certain that there will be a growing market for those with the ability to operate, repair and provide drone-related services in a number of areas. And maybe someday when you take a break those drones will be bringing you lunch as well.
* * *
FOOTNOTES
- The following are the footnotes indicated in the text in parentheses
with the letter "n" and a number. If you click the asterisk at the end of
the footnote, it will take you back to the paragraph where you left
off.
n1 - Ackerman, Evan. "Court Ruling: The FAA Can't Make You Register Your Drone," IEEE Spectrum (online), May 22, 2017, viewed online Aug. 2017 at http://spectrum.ieee.org/automation/robotics/drones/court-ruling-the-faa-cant-make-you-register-your-drone. (*)
n2 - Teal Group, "Teal Group Predicts Worldwide Civil Drone Production Will Soar $73.5 Billion Over the Next Decade," June 19, 2017 press release, viewed online Aug. 2017 at http://www.tealgroup.com/index.php/about-teal-group-corporation/press-releases/136-teal-group-predicts-worldwide-civil-drone-production-will-soar-73-5-billion-over-the-next-decade. (*)
n4 - Federal Aviation Administration website, viewed Aug. 2017 at http://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started. (*)
n5 - Associated Press, "Appeals Court Strikes Down FAA Drone Registration Rule," in LA Times (online), May 19, 2017, viewed Aug. 2017 at http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-drone-registration-20170519-story.html (*)
n6 - Federal Aviation Administration website, viewed Aug. 2017 at http://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships. (*)
n8 - Geiver, Luke, "UAS Numbers for the Future," UAS Magazine, Q4 2016, Vol. 3, Issue 4, p. 25. (*)
n9 - Mazur, Michal, "Six Ways Drones Are Revolutionizing Agriculture," MIT Technology Review, July 20, 2016, viewed online August 2017 at www.technologyreview.com/s/601935/six-ways-drones-are-revolutionizing-agriculture. (*)
n10 - Miller, Patrick C., "Growing UAS Precision Agriculture," UAS Magazine, Q4 2016, Vol. 3, Issue 4, p. 19. (*)
n11 - PwC, Clarity From Above: PwC Global Report on Commercial Applications of Drone Technology, Poland: PwC Polska Sp., May 2016, p. 17 (*)
n12 - Spackman, Paul, "Farming From the Skies is Agronomic Game-Changer," Poultry World, December 17, 2016, pp. 30-31. (*)
n13 - Feeney, Matthew, "Beware Police Drones," CATO Institute article which appeared in the Huffington Post December 1, 2016. Viewed online August 2017 at http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/beware-police-drones (*)
n14 - PwC, Clarity From Above: PwC Global Report on Commercial Applications of Drone Technology, p. 18 (*)
n15 - Air Drone Craze, "Top 12 Non-Military Uses For Drones," viewed online August 2017 at http://www.airdronecraze.com/drones-action-top-12-non-military-uses (*)
n19 - DHL, "Successful Trial Integration of DHL Parcelcopter into Logistics Chain," Press Release May 9, 2016, viewed online August 2017 at http://www.dhl.com/en/press/releases/releases_2016/all/parcel_ecommerce/successful_trial_integration _dhl_parcelcopter_logistics_chain.html (*)
n20 - UPS Pressroom, "UPS Tests Residential Delivery Via Drone Launched From Atop a Package Car," February 21, 2017 press release. Viewed online August 2017 at http://pressroom.ups.com/pressroom/ContentDetailsViewer.page?ConceptType=PressReleases&id=1487687844847-162. (*)
n21 - Amazon.com, Amazon Prime Air information page, viewed online August 2017 at http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prime-Air/b?ieUTF8&node=8037720011. (*)
n22 - Dominos.com/Australia, Press Release, "Pizza-By-Drone a Reality With World-First Customer Deliveries in New Zealand," November 2016, viewed online August 2017 at http://www.dominos.com.au/inside-dominos/media/november-2016-pizza-by-drone-a-reality-with-world-first-customer-deliveries-in-new-zealand. (*)
n23 - Flores, Nicole, "Unmanned Aerial Systems Training to ELAC," ELAC news story, February 21, 2017, viewed online August 2017 at
http://www.elac.edu/newsandevents/news-feed/2017/TeslaBringsUnmannedAerialSystemsTraining.htm (*)
LINKS LIST - The following is a list of links external to the website found in the essay.
2. "Experience Stabright Holidays" Intel/Disney drone video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTONyX0QOXU
3. Coachella Music Festival drone light show video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF2vPwmQ1Q0
4. Teal Group (research/anaylsis company) - www.tealgroup.com
5. AeroVironment Corp. - www.avinc.com
6. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) page - www.faa.gov/uas
7. Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) - www.auvsi.org
8. "Know Before You Fly" drone information site - www.knowbeforeyoufly.org
9. Additional drone information site - www.b4udrone.us
10. Take a drone-related quiz - www.b4udrone.us/take-a-quiz
11. FAA UAS Test Sites (links) - www.faa.gov/uas/research/test_sites
12. AUVSI U.S. State Legislation map - www.auvsi.org, go to "Our Impact," then "State Legislation Map."
13. Drone Racing League - www.thedroneracingleague.com
14. "GoPro Awards: Epic Drone Race at Night" video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMyCMinOBYw
15. New York Times "Drone Racing Dreams" video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiKEFQ4iWn4
16. Bloomberg Business "World's First $1 Million Drone Race - World Drone Prix in Dubai" video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ0viMxYDA4
17. National Geographic "Drones and the Future of Farming" video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3YcZtlVrls
18. Michigan Farm Bureau "Drone Potential in Agriculture: FAA-approved goFarm LLC" video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxmgBDLlLpk
19. ABC News "First Responders Turn to Drones to Save Lives" video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M4x52BwkkY
20. CNN "Hollywood Welcomes Drones to the Set" video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXhlgNHK14s
21. PwC Poland office report "Clarity From Above: PwC Global Report on the Commercial Applications of Drone Technology" - www.dronepoweredsolutions.com
22. Small UAV Coalition (SUAVC) - www.smalluavcoalition.org
23. Mark Zuckerberg Facebook post describing goals for Aquila drone/Internet from the sky - www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/the-technology-behind-aquila/10153916136506634
24. Facebook "Aquila's First Flight" video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOez_Hk80TI
25. DHL Parcelcopter system video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9yZheXxyPE
26. UPS delivery system with drones video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx9_6OyjJrQ
27. Amazon Prime Air delivery video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNySOrI2Ny8
28. Domino's pizza delivery video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEW4aXuAEy0
29. Drone University USA - www.droneuniversityusa.com
BIBLIOGRAPHY - The Bibliography for the July/August essay will be available shortly. Thank you for your patience.
The first drone ever to be included on the site, back in 2012, was, in fact, built in the shape of a bird by a company called AeroVironment (
Drone Racing. Though this is probably not the first item presented on most "top drone use" lists, some may have looked at the picture above and wondered "What on earth is drone racing?" It is just as it sounds, with drones being piloted around courses and through obstacles, often for cash prizes. In just a very short time it has become a global "sport," with the recent World Drone Prix held in Dubai being the world's first drone race with $1 million in prize money (see video link below).
